Hurricane Ernesto pounded Bermuda on Saturday with powerful winds and 35-foot (10-meter) waves while drenching the British island territory with rain that could produce deadly flooding.
Power was out for more than 70% of the territory’s 36,000 customers.
The eye of the storm passed over the west end of the archipelago early Saturday as it moved toward the north-northeast and as of 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) it was 50 miles (75 km) away from Bermuda, the U.S. National Weather Service said.
With hurricane-force winds extending 70 miles (110 km) from the center and tropical storm-force winds emanating 240 miles (390 km), Bermuda was expected to endure several more hours of punishment as the storm crawled north at just 9 mph (15 kph).
People in Bermuda reported a temporary calm as the eye of the storm passed overhead.
But surrounding the eye were maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph). It was expected to maintain its current intensity for another 48 hours, after which it should weaken, the U.S. weather service said.
The Bermuda Weather Service reported high seas that likely reached 35 feet toward the south and east of the island, and that 5.5 inches (140 mm) of rain had fallen in the past 24 hours.
